Our Lady of Sorrows
by Zamelot
Summary: Trust, she said. Who put those words in her head? Oh, how wrong they were to think that immortality meant never dying.


They were like Romeo and Juliet. A match made in heaven. Maria and Tony. Tristan and Isolde. Jim and Pam. But perhaps a bit more fortunate, if not much.

His right arm encircled her shoulders with his hand clasping her small, rounded right shoulder. He had her pulled up against him, his cheek resting lightly against the silk of her pink tresses while watching the Hokage with his fixed, intense stare.

Her gaze seemed to fall on the floor. Her right arm was wrapped around his waist and her head nestled against the hollow of his shoulder. Her pale, innocent face appeared blank; expression wiped off. Unlike the Montague beside her, she didn't seem to be paying the slightest bit of attention to what the Hokage had to say. She looked lost in her own world of moss and floor tiles.

Their position both bewildered and enchanted him. After knowing them for so long, he'd learned that they were never ones for public affection. However, their intimate fits of lovingness were so rare, he'd only had the privilege of catching them one other time besides this encounter. Of course, he'd have rather seen anyone else at the side of the delicate flower who he'd once loved—except his rival. But fate had funny ways of playing its cards. Besides…at least she claimed to be happy.

That was all that mattered.

"Hey, Freak,"

Naruto turned irritably at the sound of Shikamaru's nasal drawl. He curled his lip in distaste at the individual, his voice, and the choice of words.

"Whaddaya want?" he attempted to bite back the snarl that was about to erupt on his tongue, but failed miserably. Shikamaru shrank back slightly.

He jerked his thumb in James Dean and Natalie Wood's direction. Naruto's annoyance vanished as quickly as it came and was replaced with an unplacable sadness and self-pity. "The rumors are polluting the very air we breathe…you're their best friend…what's up with them?"

The melancholy emotions had a name. They were feelings he hadn't acknowledged in years: Loneliness. Resentment. Even heartbreak; an emotion he hadn't even experienced when Sakura chose Sasuke over him. Perhaps it was because it was inevitable. He hadn't expected Sakura to choose him when she could have the God-like Uchiha heir. No…he at least expected them to talk to him.

Not one word of their intentions had reached his ears.

Naruto felt left out. Ostracized. Outcasted.

They used to tell him everything. If not Sasuke, then Sakura. She'd even told him about things (in particular detail) that he'd have rather not heard about. Such as incidents she and Ino had had when undercover at a brothel, or situations she and Sasuke had encountered after staying out a bit too late and having one too many drinks, often leaving Naruto to question whether having Sakura as a best friend was a good thing or bad.

But now news was traveling fast and not a word of it had fallen from Sasuke or Sakura's lips.

"I don't know," he confessed after a long moment of thoughtful silence. Sasuke had lifted his head from Sakura's and was talking earnestly with the Hokage. His left hand, which had been in his pocket, was now making rapid, random motions to stress his words. Naruto was just close enough to make out the number of buttons on Sasuke's shirt; not close enough to hear him. Whatever it was they were discussing ended in a nonargumentable agreement abruptly.

The Hokage patted Sasuke on the left shoulder and left him and Sakura to stand alone together outside the temple. However, instead of leaving them completely alone, she lingered on the stone steps, 30ft. from them, watching in silent awe. Naruto slunk back, deeper into the shadows as Sakura looked up. He hated the fact that he'd reduced himself to spying on them.

Sasuke's hand dropped to the curve of her waist as they turned to face each other. He looked unusually tired with dark circles around his eyes and his face slightly gaunt with his cheeks hallowed out. These faults, on the contrary, did not remove from his handsome features, but seemed to add to them.

He and Sakura exchanged a few simple words before reaching another quick agreement. Sakura's thin, frail arms encircled Sasuke's shoulders and clasped her hands behind his neck. She then laid her head heavily against his chest, just under his chin. It was then that Naruto saw:

She looked miserable as hell.

Sasuke hugged her awkwardly a moment longer before pulling back to press a clumsy kiss against her mouth.

"You're safe to come out now, Naruto," Sakura called suddenly, her voice weak and brittle.

Naruto flinched. They'd known. Sasuke looked away from Sakura and toward the trees and bushes behind which he hid.

"You're on your own," Shikamaru said in an oddly rushed voice. He scurried off, leaving Naruto to face the music.

"Don't worry…" Sakura added. "We're not angry. We just want to ask you something."

Ask him something? He thought they'd never ask.

He rushed out of his hiding place, upsetting the leaves and branches around him. He approached them, twigs and dry leaves sticking out in random places in his hair earning a small giggle from Sakura. Pyramus and Thisbe were back to their original position with Sakura cuddled closely beside Sasuke, who had his arm draped around her shoulders with his sinewy hand over her trapeze.

Once again, Naruto felt like an outsider.

When around him, Sasuke and Sakura had the consideration to treat each other equally as if they were all friends and nothing else. However, there had been times when the couple had locked gazes unknowingly leaving Naruto to watch from the outside. Not once had they openly displayed their affection for one another in front of him as they were now.

Sakura, sensing his unease, gently pushed Sasuke away and approached Naruto, all signs of her former misery undetectable.

"Naruto… Sasuke just finished discussing with the Hokage…and," she looked up at him, a sort of false happiness in her eyes, "we're going to get married tonight!"

"Tonight!" he couldn't help but blurt out. "I mean…I know you like each other and all…but can't you at least wait, I don't know, six months or so?" he paused at Sakura's suddenly melancholy yet smiling face. "Think about the preparations!" he added hastily.

Sasuke shook his head, taking over the conversation. He wrapped his arm around Sakura again. "No. It'll be a simple ceremony. We want you to be our witness."

"And maid of honor," Naruto's expression softened at Sakura's attempt to lighten the mood.

"I thought that that position was always reserved for Ino,"

Sakura shrugged and smiled her closed lip smile. "Ino won't be able to attend…not that she'd want to anyway."

Naruto sighed, picking the dried leaves carefully out of his hair as not to shatter them. The last thing he needed were leaf particles on his head. They were hiding something from him. It was so agonizingly obvious. They weren't telling him the truth. The truth. The one thing he always counted on them telling him.

"So…whaddya say?"

"I say you tell me what's really going on," he growled. "I'm not agreeing to anything until you guys tell me what you've been planning."

"We're taking an extended trip out of Konoha," Sakura interjected before Sasuke could retort. "You know I'd like to leave with a big bang, but Sasuke wants to leave quietly without people pouring over him. We should be back sooner or later."

She was lying through her teeth. As smart as she was, when it came to emotions, Sakura was the worst known liar. "Don't lie to me, Sakura," he said quietly, already offended beyond words.

"If you agree." Sasuke spoke up, "we'll tell you the whole story tonight before we leave."

They had to hold that over his head. The if you scratch my back I'll scratch yours. Naruto sighed again. Could he honestly refuse them anything? He nodded dully as if his body moved of its own mind. He didn't even feel Sakura wind her arms around him in a grateful gesture. He considered not showing.

Yet he found himself walking back later that evening. The day had swept past him without his notice. Time moved on, as he felt stuck in that dreary but sunny afternoon packed with deceit and uncertainty.

They were waiting for him. Dressed their best and looking like another star crossed pair of lovers. They were Ceyx and Alcyone this time. The Hokage was standing not too far away with a large book in her arms. Sakura made her way toward him, the silk of her red kimono crinkling slightly at the shoulders as she raised her arms up to him.

Naruto willingly took her into his arms. His hands seemed large around her tiny, slim waist as well as calloused and dry as they moved roughly against the smooth spring green obi. The lingering smell of the sun perfumed her hair and her body felt warm, hard, and so dangerously fragile. For once, as he held her in his arms, he forgot about Sasuke. He held her like the lover he had so wanted her to be to him. And what's more… she held him back.

Sasuke cleared his throat; breaking the moment like a rock through a glass window. Naruto slowly and reluctantly released her. She was on the verge of pushing him away. She went to Sasuke's side, taking his equally large hand into her small, feminine one. Naruto hung back, even when the Hokage began waving the incense stick and chanting.

He couldn't decide whether Sakura was truly happy or putting on a face. He knew Sasuke was set on continuing his bloodline, but couldn't conclude if he actually loved Sakura. In a way, he once again compared them to Pygmalion and Galatea. Impossible but unpredictable. The Hokage had handed Sasuke a pen and had the book turned in his direction. He signed without hesitation and handed the pen to Sakura.

Naruto approached them from behind and waited as the pen in Sakura's hand lingered above the paper. It seemed like eons later that the tip scratched against the parchment.

"Naruto?" the Hokage held the pen out to him.

He signed the bottom labeled 'witness' quickly, not turning to look at Sakura as he did so. She was starring at Sasuke anyway as he slipped a plain silver ring onto he lift ring finger. The Hokage snapped the book shut. The ceremony was over whether they kissed or not.

"Okay you guys…what's going on?"

"We're leaving Konoha," Sasuke stated.

Naruto rolled his eyes.

"Sasuke wants to travel to different villages to learn different things. He plans to use all that he learns when it comes time to meet his brother,"

Naruto blanched. He turned angrily to Sasuke. "You idiot! You might get her killed!"

Sasuke looked away as Sakura continued. "That's why we wanted to get married right away," she confessed. "We might not have much time together, but at least we'll have some!"

Naruto continued to glare at Orqheus. The beautiful, talented man who was leading Eurydice to her doom. He neither confirmed nor apposed this statement. He didn't speak. The once hot rivalry between the two returned with a spark. Naruto would have gone to punch him if Sakura hadn't take Sasuke's arm and began to tug him away.

"We can be perfect for one last night and maybe die together like star crossed lover when we fight," she added.

She released Sasuke and returned to Naruto's side. He felt her soft, cold hands on his face. She had been unusually gentle with him lately. That should have been the first sign that something was up. But he hadn't detected it.

"Trust us, Naruto," she whispered. He wanted to. They trusted him…he should be able to return the favor.

Then she leaned forward. He felt his heart leap to his throat.

She kissed the corner of his mouth and then released him to return to return to Sasuke who was waiting patiently beside the torii, watching them.

He held his arm open to her, while she snuggled under it.

He should be able to return the favor. But could he?

Man, he hoped they died like star-crossed lovers. Just like Baucis and Philemon. Together, even at the very end. He paused to watch as the lovers stopped to share their first kiss as a married couple.

Naruto couldn't help but wonder how Sakura had managed to convince Sasuke to take her along. Maybe she hadn't. Maybe it'd been destined. But he couldn't begin to imagine the fight they'd had.

Yeah. They'd die. They'd die, but forever be Konoha's own tragic lovers Konoha was no Verona, but it'd go down in history. There was Romeo and Juliet, Tristan and Isolde, Pyramus and Thisbe…then there'd be Sakura and Sasuke….

He'd be Mercutio anytime.

* * *

\Summary borrowed from 'Our Lady of Sorrows' by My Chemical Romance copyright 2002 Eyeball Records. I don't own it.\ 


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